Yacolt Burn

[Al Bundy]

Hows the deer hunting up there? What are the chances of a newbie bagging one in there? Does it get crowded? How much public land is there?

[lostcat]

Get a map at the store in yacolt drive around you should see something to shoot at.

[flashover52]

There's also the timber land east of Amboy -- quite a few deer in there and plenty of guys driving around.

[elksnout]

Plenty of deer there. And hunters. I think it's all private....and gated. No camping either. I wouldn't hunt in there again on a bet if you are talking the tree farm. If you are talking Silver Star and Larch Mountain, Grouse Vista and such, then it's state and federal land. Good access and numbers of deer. But being close to Vanc it does get it's fair share of pressure. Brushy too. If you can hunt during the weekday it will be much better. Find a decent stand of timber and sit tight. I like the east side of Larch mountain. Good luck man.

[Al Bundy]

Thanks for the responses.

I figured being so close to Vancouver and Battle Ground it would get crowded, that's why I asked. I'm just trying to get some ideas on decent public areas to go.

I'll fire up Google Earth and start looking around the areas elksnout mentioned.

[h2ofowlr]

I went in there a few years ago when I was living in Battle Ground.  The game biologist said there had been 180+ hunters counted with two small bucks bagged.  Tons of road hunters and lots of orange.

[flashover52]

Yeah the tree farm was one of the first places I went for deer when I moved out here. Way too many folks driving around. I thought I found a good area to hike down to and take a stand and saw about five different trucks drive around about three times each. I met up with another guy and he asked me if I saw Dolly. Dolly? Yeah he says, the doe down that gully you came up. She comes out at dusk and stands by a big stump. I did see a doe in that area but heck if I knew someone had actually named her.   

I try to stay away from there now unless I only have a few hours. I can sneak over during the early morning midweek.

[Al Bundy]

I went in there a few years ago when I was living in Battle Ground.  The game biologist said there had been 180+ hunters counted with two small bucks bagged.  Tons of road hunters and lots of orange.

Was that over opening weekend or the entire season?

[Huntbear]

The "Burn" is crowded, to say the least.  However, I have seen and killed some monsters in there.  All you have to do is find the drainages full of devils club and alder, get in there and still hunt as slow as you can go.  Do not waste your time on clear cuts after the first hour of light.  It is a sea of orange, but 99 percent are road hunters that are scouting for elk (cause it is either sex for the small herds in there)  Now the north and east part of it are getting brushy from what I have heard, but Weyco keeps a steady logging operation in there, and there is always some new areas to hunt, if all you want to do is glass tree lines and such.   Contact the Yacolt Sportsman club, they are the ones that have the keys and let people in during the season, they can be of more help than anyone.

[cascademountainhunter]

oh man everyone and their dog goes to the yacolt burn!! i have heard of some nice ones taken out of there but not that many. ive also seen some nice bucks in there when it was elk season when i used to hunt there. so they are around but man it just gets so much pressure. good place to go if you have a doe tag though, seems to be no shortage of them around...

[medic6]

Just hunted the burn today 7 deer and a 2x2 (foot traffic only until modern kicks off).   90 percent of the people road hunt which can make for lots of road noise/traffic.  Avoid the weekends if you can.  The hunting in the burn has always produce animals for my family including a nice 4x4 and a couple 2x2,  spikes etc.  There will also still be gated walk in only partions you just have to learn the road system.  You won't have problems finding deer,  it is the shooters you'll have to work hard for.
Good luck

[PWN Kurt]

The WDFW officer that came to my hunter ed class said that it's a nut house during rifle season (my words, not his).  He spends most of his very very long days out there patrolling that area.  Lots of folks are road hunting, driving with loaded rifles in their laps, and he said every year he pulls over felons in possession of firearms.

Based on what he said about the Yacolt Burn, I've avoided it.  My  is that hunting should be a wilderness experience.

Kurt

[Chesapeake]

I live in Washougal and I'm a little confused about what you folks call "The Yacolt burn". That fire burned a very large area extending from Washougal clear up toward the resevoirs along the Lewis river. Covering areas within two counties. It sounds as if you are talking just about the high production logging area up around Yacolt and not the state land and other logging land that is with the burn.

I've never hunted neer Yacolt, but also never seen the crowds you all speak of in the Gifford Pinchot and other sections of the Yacolt burn.

[Huntbear]

Typically, when people refer to the "Burn" they are talking about Weyerhauser's Mt. St. Helens Tree Farm out of Yacolt, although  you used to be able to access it from Chelatchie Prairie or coming up from Sunset Ranger Station.   I agree, the original Burn was much a much larger area, and it is all good hunting, but the Weyco land gets most of the pressure, and has more deer due to the amount of clearcuts and such in there.

[elksnout]

Chesapeake, Huntbear is correct. As you are when considering the " Burn ". The place to avoid is the Weyerhauser land as mentioned. I do most of my hunting in the upper Washougal River / Three Corner Rock area. Even some of that was burned at the same time so could be classed as part of the Yacolt Burn.